Start with the orders your promotion may generate
Peak preparation begins with a practical estimate of what will leave the warehouse. Review expected orders by day, the products being promoted and likely basket sizes. A promotion on bulky products can change freight requirements even if order counts remain familiar.
Black Friday falls on Friday 27 November and Cyber Monday on Monday 30 November 2026. Those dates are confirmed in the Australian Government's online sales calendar. Use them as planning milestones, then allow for your own order processing time and carrier collection arrangements.
Australian Government: Prepare your small business for online sales in 2026
1. Check realistic daily dispatch capacity
Estimate how many orders your team can pick, pack, label and hand over in a working day. Use the slowest stage of the workflow, not just the picking rate. Include replenishment, rework, staff breaks and orders requiring special checks.
Decide what happens when orders exceed that capacity. Agree dispatch priorities and when customer-facing processing times need to change. A confirmed carrier collection cannot resolve orders that are not ready to leave.
2. Confirm carrier collections and alternatives
Discuss expected volume and collection arrangements before the promotion. Check when freight must be ready, how it is presented for collection and who to contact if collection arrangements change.
Assess alternatives for the freight profiles that matter most. A backup service needs suitable coverage, account access and a tested booking process. Do not wait until a dispatch problem occurs to find out that the alternative cannot accept the shipment.
3. Review packaging and shipment data
Check packed dimensions and weights for promoted products and common bundles. Make sure packaging stock, labels and appropriate protection are available. Incorrect dimensions or packaging can create additional charges and handling problems when the team has least time to investigate.
Use the Packaging and Handling Risk Scanner for an initial review and the Surcharge Checker to identify questions to confirm against carrier terms. These tools support planning; final carrier acceptance and charges depend on the actual consignment.
- Measure packed products and common multi-item orders.
- Check labels can be read and old labels are removed.
- Review bulky, fragile or restricted goods separately.
- Confirm receiving access and unloading needs for pallet deliveries.
- Keep enough suitable packaging available for the sales period.
4. Test booking and tracking before the rush
Run representative orders through the complete dispatch workflow. Check address data, selected services, labels, references and any tracking updates back to the store. Include a cancelled order, an amended address and an order that needs manual review.
If several locations or a 3PL fulfil your orders, confirm which team owns each stage. Agree how an order moves between systems and who investigates a mismatch. Changing integrations during the busiest period can add avoidable uncertainty; test agreed changes before they are needed.
5. Set delivery expectations customers can understand
Show order processing time separately from indicative carrier transit. State the relevant order cut-off clearly and explain any changed processing time during the promotion. Review website banners, checkout messages and confirmation emails together so they tell the same story.
Avoid creating a nationwide arrival promise from one carrier estimate. Destination, service, dispatch day and network conditions can affect the journey. Confirm current service information and only use guaranteed language where the applicable service terms support it.
6. Assign delivery exceptions and customer updates
Write a short process for missed collections, delayed tracking, damaged freight and failed deliveries. Define who checks the consignment, who contacts the freight partner or carrier and who updates the customer. Keep order and shipment references available to that team.
InXpress Caroline Springs can support agreed carrier follow-up and freight queries. Agree the support scope and communication process in advance; a carrier follow-up may still take time to resolve.
Your final readiness check
A week before the promotion, confirm that capacity assumptions, carrier access, packaging and customer messages still match the plan. List anything that is still missing and give someone responsibility for sorting it out. After the sales period, compare planned and actual orders, dispatch time and freight exceptions to improve the next event.
If you need help assessing your carrier mix or difficult shipments, bring a recent shipment sample and expected peak profile to a freight review. The best starting point is a clear view of the orders you expect to send.
- Dispatch capacity and overflow response agreed.
- Collection arrangements and alternatives checked.
- Packaging and shipment measurements reviewed.
- Booking and tracking flow tested.
- Processing times and delivery messages consistent.
- Freight exceptions and customer communication assigned.